Rudy’s Diesel Builds An 1,100hp, 100-psi 2008 6.4L Ford Power Stroke

It just so happens that a single vehicle manages to be the quickest, fastest, and most powerful 6.4L Power Stroke on the planet. While you may have seen Aaron Rudolf’s ’08 Ford F-250 in the pages of Diesel Power in the past, its latest iteration is impressive indeed. The numbers speak for themselves: a 9.49-second quarter-mile time and a 147-mph trap speed. It’s also made 1,089 rwhp at 85 psi of boost—and that’s without the two-stage nitrous system. With his old turbo setup and nitrous, Aaron’s truck cleared the 1,300-rwhp mark, so current power on the silly spray is anyone’s guess.

The engine itself has been beefed up with A1 main studs, Carrillo connecting rods, and ARP head studs. It also has a camshaft and ported heads from Elite Diesel Engineering. Elite also supplied the lift pump system, but the dual fuelers came from Rudy’s Diesel. The airflow side was built mostly in-shop at Rudy’s Diesel and features 75mm and 104mm turbochargers, an air-to-water intercooler, and wrapped hot piping. With tuning from Innovative Diesel, the truck manages to put down absurd amounts of power while still being reliable.

While Aaron has run his best time with a 5R110 transmission, numerous broken parts have convinced him to switch over to a 4R100 built by Brian’s Truck Shop. Built with 300M shafts, a triple-disc 2,000-rpm-stall converter, and PCS controller, the new transmission should be just as fast, and a lot more reliable. The front and rear axles have also received 3.31 gears, in order to keep the diesel engine under plenty of load.

Notice anything? Like the doors are missing? In fact, the whole truck minus the cab is fiberglass, including the one-piece front end, doors, and bed. Ricky’s Collision Center in Marietta, Georgia, helped with the final touchup work including painting, alignment, and bodywork. The result is a 1,500-pound weight loss, giving the truck a race weight of a mere 5,800 pounds.

Notice anything? Like the doors are missing? In fact, the whole truck minus the cab is fib

Other than the insane weight savings via fiberglass work, the rest of the truck is surprisingly stock. The front has coil springs from a 5.4L gas truck, and adjustable link arms from One Up Off Road. The rear is stock, save for an overload spring that’s been removed, and a set of traction bars, also from One Up Off Road.

Since Aaron runs his own company, Rudy’s Diesel, he’s always looking to up his game. As you read this, Aaron is still ironing out a new engine, transmission, and turbocharger combination in hopes of keeping his throne. His rad ride is an interesting mix of drag racing, diesel, and factory technologies, with all the right parts in the right places, so we made sure to snap plenty of pictures. Enjoy!